Automotive sanding devices comprising a valve for controlling flow of granular material



March 27,195 w. T. ANDERSON 2, AUTOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICES COMPRISING AVALVE FOR CONTROLING FLOW OF GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed May 22, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

Iva/ma United States Patent AUTOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICES COMPRISING AVALVE FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF GRAN- ULAR MATERIAL Wilbur T. Anderson,Denver, Colo.

Application May 22, 1953, Serial No. 356,666

Claims. (Cl. 222-504) This invention relates to a valve, moreparticularly for controlling the flow of dry, granular material, such assand, salt, sugar, and the like, and while useful in many dilferentapplications, is more particularly designed for use in controlling thesand fed from automotive vehicle road-sanding devices.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, highlyefiicient, positive-acting, leakproof, trouble-free sand control valvewhich can be operated from the vacuum system of the automotive vehiclefor discharging sand for traction purposes when desired.

Another object is to provide a valve which will employ a simple, easilyobtainable rubber ball as the valve element, so that replacements, whennecessary, can be quickly and economically made.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

Fig.1 is a side view of the improved flow control valve;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the outer housing cut away to show theinterior elements;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section, taken on the line 33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3.

The operating mechanism of the improved flow control valve is containedwithin a vertical, cylindrical barrel 10, the top of which is closed bymeans of a flanged cap member 11. The cap member 11 telescopicallyengages the upper periphery of the barrel and is removably attachedthereto by means of suitable attachment screws 12.

The lower extremity of the barrel 10 is reduced in diameter to form afunnel-like hopper portion 13, terminating in a cylindrical dischargenipple 14. The cap member 11 supports a cylindrical feed tube 15 whichextends above the cap member to form an intake nipple 16, and extendsbelow the cap member to an open termination within the barrel 10. Thetube 15 may be secured in the cap member in any desired manner, such asby wedging or soldering.

A preferably solid rubber ball 17 closes the bottom of the tube 15. Theball is tightly wedged into and seated within, a ball cup 18 providedwith a flaring edge 19 into which the ball 17 is wedged so as to becontracted within the ball cup to frictionally engage the walls of thelatter. The ball cup is constantly urged upwardly by means of a pair oftension springs 20 which are stretched between spring holes 21 in theball cup edge 19 and spring hooks 22 projecting oppositely outward fromthe sides of the feed tube 15. Thus, the feed tube- 15 is normallycompletely sealed by the ball 17, which is resiliently held against thebottom extremity of the tube 15 by the elasticity of the springs 20.

The ball can be tilted away from the tube 15 to open the bottomextremity thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, by the vacuum created by anautomotive vehicle engine. This is accomplished through the medium of anopenbottomed vacuum cylinder 23 which is mounted on and extendsdownwardly from the cap member 11 adjacent the feed tube 15. A vacuumnipple 24 communicates with the cylinder 23 and extends upwardly fromthe cap member 11.

A cupped piston 25 is slidably mounted within the cylinder 23 andprovided with a piston rod 26 which extends downwardly through the openbottom of the cylinder. The piston 25 may be of the usual type found intire pumps and the like, consisting of a cupped washer clamped in placeupon the rod 26 between clamp nuts 27 and washers 28.

The lower extremity of the rod 26 is threaded into a threaded nut 29upon which a looped bale 30 is formed. The nut 29 can be locked in anydesired position on the rod 26 by means of a jam nut 31 threadedthereon. A hook arm 32 is soldered or otherwise secured on the bottom ofthe ball cup 18 and extends outwardly to form a looped hook 33 whichextends through the bale 30.

In use on an automotive vehicle, a sand discharge hose is secured aroundthe discharge nipple 14. A sand supply hose is secured around the intakenipple 16, and a vacuum hose is secured around the nipple 24 andconnected into the vacuum line of the vehicle through any suitablevacuum valve.

Let us assume that the feed tube 15 is filled with sand, and that it isdesired to discharge sand therefrom. The operator opens his vacuum valveto place the vacuum cylinder 23 in communication with the vacuum line ofthe vehicle to evacuate the cylinder. This causes the atmosphericpressure in the barrel 10 to force the piston 25 upwardly in itscylinder 23. As the piston moves upwardly, the looped hook 33 will bepulled upwardly to tilt the ball cup and the ball 17 away from the openextremity of the tube 15.

One edge of the tube will act as fulcrum against which the ball tilts.It is preferred to reinforce this edge to prevent cutting and wear onthe ball by means of a reinforcing plate 34 which is soldered orotherwise secured to the tube 15 to increase the thickness of the latterat the point where the tilting contact of the ball occurs.

It can be seen that when the vacuum is released and air is admittedthrough the nipple 24, the springs 20 will snap the ball upwardly toclose the open extremity of the tube 15, as shown in Fig. 2.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may bevaried, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

1. A flow-controlling valve comprising: a vertical feed tube having anopen lower extremity; a ball cup; a ball mounted in said ball cup;spring means urging said ball cup toward said feed tube to cause saidball to close the open lower extremity thereof; means for tilting saidball cup to cause said ball to tilt about and in engagement with oneside of said feed tube so as to swing from said open extremity; a leverarm projecting from said ball; a cylinder positioned alongside said feedtube; a piston in said cylinder; a piston rod extending from saidpiston; means hingedly connecting said rod to said lever arrn; means forcreating a pressure differential in said cylinder to move said piston soas to transmit a tilting action to said ball cup; a barrel enclosingsaid feed .tube and said cylinder; and a hopper-like discharge formed onthe bottom of saidbarrel.

'2. A valve for controlling the flow of dry, granular materialcomprising: a barrel; a hopper-like discharge formed on the bottom ofsaid barrel; a cap closing the top of said barrel; a feed tube extendingthrough and supported by said cap and terminating in an open lowerextremity within said barrel; a resilient ball closing the open lowerextremity of said feed tube; a ball cup engaging the lowerportionof saidball and supporting the latter; a tension spring positioned at each sideof said feed tube, said 'springsbeing connected to opposite sides ofsaid ball cup and extending to a connection on opposite sides of saidfeed tube to resilientlymaintain the .ball in engagement with the openextremity of said feed tube; and means for'swinging said ball cup sothat said ball will tilt in contact 'with and about one edge of'saidfeed tube to cause said'ball to swing away from the open extremity ofsaid feed tube to open the latter.

3. A valve for controlling the flow of dry, granular material asdescribed in clai1n2; an open-bottomed vacuum cylinder mounted on andextending downwardly from said cap member within said barrel; a pistoninsaid vacuum cylinder; a piston rod extending downwardly'through the openbottomto'f said vacuum cylinder; a lever projecting from s'aid'ball cup;andtmeans hingedly connecting said'lever to said piston rod so thatmovement of said piston will cause tilting movement of said ball.

4. A flow-controlling valve comprising: a fiow tube having an openextremity; a cup; a resilient spherical member mounted in said cup;spring means urging said cup toward said flow tube to cause said memberto close the open extremity of said tube; a fulcrum positioned at oneside of said open extremity; means for tilting said cup against saidfulcrum-to cause said spherical member to swing away from said extremityto allow flow through the .latter; .and a barrel surrounding said cupand said spherical member and receiving the flow from said-extremity.

5. A iiow control valve comprising: a barrel; a discharge passage in oneextremity of said barrel; a feed tube extending through the otherextremity of said barrel and terminating in an open extremity therein; aballlike resilient member closing the open extremity of said feed tube;a cup-shaped member containing said resilient member; a tension springsecured at each sideofsaid feed tube, said springs being connected tooppositesides of said cup-shaped member and extending to a connection onopposite sides of said feed tube to resiliently' maintain the resilientmember in engagement with the. open extremity of said feed tube; andmeans for swinging said cup-shaped member to cause said resilient memberto swing away from the open extremity ofsaid feed tube'to open thelatter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ,Mn IM;

